Doug Van Pelt

Skepticism Schmecktishism

My heart goes out (metaphor) to skeptics.
Sometimes doubt can be a stoppage of the life force (faith and hope) that flows to and from the heart. Perhaps, like cholesterol, stuff jams up the flow and keeps the heart from being refreshed with life-giving nutrients. It hurts to be cut off from hope.

One example could be looking at a 'word from the Lord' that someone writes or shares and deeming it to be of little to no value or a "fakery," something someone tries to pass off as the very words of God for someone, a fluffy feel-good and simplistic declaration that things will be alright. A little skepticism is good, because it can keep us from being duped. Too much, though, might stifle emotion. Just like love, faith is not a feeling, but faith without any feelings is ... (I would say "sad," but sadness is an emotion, he he) ... missing something.

If we assume that "God doesn't work this way" or "that way," then we might miss God doing something cool in that particular avenue. Sometimes, when I read a "prophetic email" or something with that kind of angle, I judge it to be not much more than an encouraging word with biblical principles. I don't apply it to my life as if it's God's specific message to me for such and such a situation. If I did ever hope to apply such a "word" to my life, it would be after passing through several layers of skepticism and questions. I don't dismiss, however, that God could sometimes operate in this way.

It's kind of a "head gets in the way of the heart" thing. This can happen on so many levels, but it effectively (maybe) keeps God at arm's length away from the doubting heart. I am convinced that God can sufficiently satisfy the intellectual questions that a sincere heart has -- concerning His existence and His presence in the world.

I don't live in the "Feelings Department," but I'd hate to permanently leave never to return to emotions again. I am very thankful that man is a balanced creature -- with mind, body, and spirit -- or emotions, will, and logic.

Anyway, a possible way to touch that part of your being with a God imprint is to do works of service: to help someone else. Whether that's meeting a physical need (feeding someone or repairing their kitchen sink) or an emotional one (like listening to someone's problems). Biblically speaking, this is one way to be in God's will and to do what He wants to be done on earth. Perhaps this will allow your emotions to flow. It's not about you, and in giving yourself outside of yourself, you might actually enjoy a benefit that could be labelled "giver's joy."

Rest is Nice

Taking a relaxing day off after finishing another deadline, as we prepare to take another day off to give thanks. There is much to be thankful for -- EVERYTHING!

I'm sitting down this morning watching the Mortification, Live Humanitarian DVD. It's fun listening to Steve Rowe talk about his music and the bands that influenced him. I have to admit, though, that I'm an egomaniac that is out of control and I get some sort of twisted kick out of hearing him drop my name. I'm a dunce.

An interview with Rachel:

What do you think of God?
Why are you asking me these questions?

Just cause I want to. I want to know. So, what do you think of God?
Are you going to put this in your magazine?

No.
Your blog?

Yes. So? What would you like to say?
I'll have to think about that. I really don't know.

What are you thankful for?
I have a lot of things. You really want to ask me that? cuz I'll have a lot of things.

Yeah.
One, is Biscuit. You. Mommy. Kaela. Electricity. Marvin. Spot. Tiger. Mary. Martha. Food. Water. God. Jesus. That's all I can think of right now.

A Difficult Decision

I'm having a tough time deciding. I painted this acrylic painting of a pair of feeting splashing into the water in a dive. I wrote a message about "jumping in," you know, head first. I've got two designs. One has the illustration at the top and the text at the bottom. That's kind of standard. I like how the splatter of the paint is textured underneath the text, instead of that part of the page just being super clean white.

Then, at the last minute, I tried an alternate layout, where the illustration is at the bottom. This has a double effect, because your brain reads the words in the text first and then your eyes see the visual of someone jumping in after you read the words "jump in." it makes for kind of a logical sequence between the words and the visual.

And now I can't decide between the two. Will you look at it for me and vote? Leave comments explaining your vote, if you would. I thank you in advance for your help.






The first design:

Do you like this one best?








...and the second one with the text on top:

...or is this one better?

Deadline Prayer

Lord,

It looks like I won't be able to finish the magazine today, but please let me keep going in spite of how things look. Please give me strength to persevere and see this issue to the end -- whether it is indeed today or Monday...

I pray that You use this issue to inspire Your people to respond to You in loving adoration and work. I also pray that You would open the eyes of those that are estranged from You, and that something in this issue would draw their hearts close to You. I would love it if several people "jumped in" head first into a relationship with You, beginning an adventure with a wild abandon and joy.

You are good. Thank You for the ability and opportunity to publish this magazine. May You be delighted with it.

Amen.

Post-prayer meanderings:
Wow, there is an interesting comment from someone in Taiwan to a recent post ("Meet the Kids"). It's hard to believe it's anything more than the ramblings of a lunatic. Letters to Ed, Live Report, Ill Nino Says, and touching up the Table of Contents... I have a shot at finishing this up today. There's the placing of several ads and the oh-so important correcting of mistakes noticed by our proofreading team. Without their help, there would be a lot more typo's and I wouldn't ever get these things finished on time. My printer sales reps take my wife and I out to a Dallas Cowboys game each year. I get to pick the game, and this year I chose this weekend's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, because it was a weekend between deadlines. Little did I know that I might not actually be finished with the deadline before I drive North to Dallas. Here's hoping I do.

The Upper Class Twit of the Year

Nigel "Incubator" Jones, whose best friend is a tree and in his spare time he's a stock broker. (This is one of the contestants in the Upper Class Twit of the Year Show skit...)

I'm watching Monty Python's Flying Circus as I sprint forward for the last stretch of deadline. I've got to layout all the pages for this next issue, including placing the ads that have come in. I am choosing Deliverance's Weapons of our Warfare and Mortal's Fathom albums as our two "Classic Moments" albums for this issue. I have to pen those and organize the Hard News "bullets."

And now for something completely different.
Ah, and there's even a tie-in between this next passage of Mark and the random headline I chose. In fact, in the new Monty Python Translation of the New Testament, coming out next month in my imagination and available everywhere, it has the heading for this parable listed as "The Upper Class Twit of the Year" (instead of "The Rich Young Ruler").

You see, a rich young man approached Jesus and said, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replied at first by asking, "Why do you call me good? No one is good -- except God alone." It's as if He is affirming His deity once again. Kind of like saying, "You said it, not Me." I think it's also interesting that this young guy used the word "inherit" instead of "earn" or the simpler "get." Inheritance infers the death of someone and is a gift, most likely from someone greater to someone lesser.

Jesus then goes over some of the basics: "You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

The young man interjects: "Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy." What it says next is quite curious:

Jesus looked at him and loved him.

Wow, that's an amazing statement. "One thing you lack," He said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

He didn't ask him to give all the proceeds to the poor, but simply to give to the poor. In a practical sense, if he had done what Jesus instructed, he would have had some provision to get by from day to day; and that would have been quite the adventure. He might've even been one of the founding members of the church in Jerusalem later. Instead, of course, we know that "At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!'

The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said again, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, 'Who then can be saved?' Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

That's a good thing for us in the West to hear. As you may have heard, the average person in America is ranked in the upper 1% of wealth in the world. The non-Western countries in the world are so poor compared to us that we are in the upper, upper echelons of the world's wealth. So, anyone reading this (it's likely that having internet access equals wealth in that context) cannot look down their nose at this rich young ruler and think, 'What a twit! I'm glad I'm not rich like that.' We are very, very rich here in the West, in comparison to our neighbors around the world. So, while it might seem easy to disconnect or dismiss this parable as not applying to us; we would do well to be wary of the deceitfulness of riches and the "worries of this world."

I have a friend who seems to have built a doctrine on this parable, pointing to it to sort of define his conviction that total obedience to Jesus and His Word is the path to Heaven. While it's hard to argue against obedience to God (for that is the role we as believers are supposed to have towards our God), the doctrines and style of faith that roost on this verse are somehow out of whack with the balance of Scripture. It seems to ignore one of the core lessons of another parable -- that of the Prodigal Son. You know, Jesus kind of explained with this story that the older brother, who did everything he was told, seemed to have missed the point. He had his father's good pleasure and acceptance. He could have been throwing parties all the time, celebrating his father's love, but instead he somehow felt like he had to "slave away" for his taskmaster of a father to win approval. It seems that God's love is not built upon behavior and conditional -- only given if we are faithful. That's what's so amazing about grace.

"Peter said to Him, 'We have left everything to follow You!'

"'I tell you the truth,' Jesus replied, 'no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the Gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields -- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.'"

It's interesting how "children and fields" are brought up here, since that is what was lost (and destroyed by the devil) in the story of Job. According to this quote, we also might see Peter in a lesser (or last in prominence) role in Heaven. Who knows?

Meet the Kids

In Mark 10:13-16 Jesus is hanging out with little kids. In most cultures, this is sometimes seen as non-serious or leisure time. That might be the case, but the Lord valued it.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

That sounds like really good advice to me.

I'm thinking that accepting things at face value and being straight-up and honest are ways to go (according to the "receiving the kingdom of God like a little child" principles). Not having all the answers to all my questions, but trusting in the One Who is God seems like a way to have "child-like faith."

The Church Is In Your Hands ... DON'T BLOW IT!!!

I am amazed that God entrusted His kingdom in the hands of humans -- us. How risky is that? How adventurous, too.

If you somehow think that God will guide His people in such a way that keeps them from making mistakes ... I'd ask you to look at history to see that this is not exactly the case. I am not hopeless in this belief. On the contrary, I am full of hope and confidence -- confidence and hope that His people will listen to His voice and follow. I believe that one of the purposes of Jesus' life on earth was to live as an example. To show us how living by the Spirit could be done.

Irregardless of how capable or un-capable we are to spread God's kingdom, it is nonetheless in our hands to do so.

When I think of how easy it is for me to judge the actions of Christians around me -- church leadership, evangelists, etc -- I see how easy it is to judge others and not myself. The problem with that kind of thinking is it tries to disconnect from the rest of the body. I have a responsibility to be the church. I cannot just sit by and criticize others. I must be the church.

As much as I know there is the potential for God to use me and do amazing things through us; I know that we also hold the ability to blow it. We can make a big mess of things. Let's not do that.

9 Ways to Reduce your Dog's Carbon Paw Print

This is one of the headlines on the new January 2009 issue of Dog World magazine. The nine steps are:
1. Feed organic
2. Enjoy zero-carbon activities with your dog (in other words, walk, don't drive to the dog park, etc)
3. Choose toys made from sustainable or recycled materials
4. Waste not, want not (use biodegradable bags for picking up poo)
5. Plant a tree for your pup
6. Dress to the alternative K9s (if your dog wears a sweater, get him one made from hemp, soy, etc)
7. Buy leashes and collars made from sustainable or reclaimed materials
8. Clean with green products
9. Go natural with your yard care

Wow. Isn't that interesting?

I was going to post a concert review of Dashboard Confessional (who finished their Rock Band Live Tour last night in Austin, TX), but something came up, we arrived late, the willcall window place to pick up tickets was closed, and by the time I got in they were done playing.

Much to do for deadline today. My goal is to finish several album reviews and such. Then I'll be able to stop towing all these CDs from office to home and back again every day. Am enjoying the classic metal sounds woven into the hardcore delivery of Hope For The Dying.

One of my friend's friends was laid off from his job for some time now. Christmas is right around the corner and I know that he is saddened that this Christmas will not be much for his kids. His website teaches people on how to learn to play guitar. If you're interested, the timing would be perfect for this guy. Go to LearnWorshipGuitar.com

Don't tell me how to spend my money!

As we take a little space in HM to put the spotlight on some classic hard music albums again (like Zao's Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest and the 77s self-titled album in the Nov/Dec issue), it's also a good time to point out some of the heroes behind the scenes that help keep rock's history alive and well. A few of those people are Matt Hunt, with Retroactive Records, who keep re-releasing some classics; Mike Delaney, of Rad Rockers, who makes the effort to buy up remaining copies as they go out of print and disappear forever; and then the nameless (they have names, but I don't know them off-hand) folks who run independent music stores in your region. These people work with passion (usually) and swim upstream a little bit in an industry that's rapidly changing (and facing extinction in many ways). Please remember to support them. Their efforts (and them just being around) benefit you.

Prayer: What REALLY Happens?

I just heard some amazing prayers.
I feel like one of those angels in the Frank Peretti novel, This Present Darkness. They would lean in and rejoice at the prayers of the saints. When authentic prayer and supplication (and the pouring out of one's heart) is happening, it is a most beautiful thing. Sometimes it's almost hard NOT to believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding the one who is praying. Sometimes the words coming out of our mouths are so rich with meaning, emotion, and purpose.

I love to think of how it pleases our Father to hear us talking to Him. I think there's another blessing in our listening to Him, too. When we're clinging to God and desperately reaching out to Him, I believe that is true faith in action. When all we've got is all we've got and we spend it all on Him, I think that's cool.

It's interesting that the Bible uses incense as a symbol for the prayers of God's people, rising up to His throne of grace. When I think of someone taking a deep sniff of some fine smelling incense, that conjures thoughts of pleasure. I imagine that it really pleases God when we pray to Him.

A friend named You

I have a friend. Since revealing his name would not be a 100% positive thing all across the board, we'll just call him "You."

You is a great guy. People like to be around him. He's into the outdoors. He's very gracious and polite ... and funny. One quality I love about him (besides those others) is his humility. If I was to presume to know his heart, I might guess that he realizes that he's not worthy -- not worthy of God's love, not worthy of His mercy, not worthy of His grace. These "realizations" probably shaped his behavior somehow. They probably helped him think to put others first.

I'm kind of the opposite in ways. I am under the impression that I have received God's favor. I'm under the impression that this means my Father in Heaven is pleased to know me. This sometimes lights me up inside and fills me with joy. Sometimes it makes it easier for me to have faith that the circumstances around me will improve. Since I'm in good standing with God, why wouldn't He favor me or bless me with a positive answer to my prayer or make my efforts to please him seem fulfilled. That, obviously, makes me feel happy.

I probably have become friends with You by divine intervention. The balance that we offer each other is cool and has a symmetry to it that makes sense. I feel like a son with an inheritance of blessing, which might tend towards an unbecoming arrogance, pride and apathy, and You feel unworthy, which tends to make You feel like an outcast. Being around one another might encourage the other not to get out of balance with our tendencies.

I wonder...

The Mark of the Beast

When a chapter in the book of Mark spans about four pages in a Study Bible, you know it covers a lot of ground. I thought about writing devotionals/blog entries for portions of the chapter ... and perhaps I shall do that in the future, but I am choosing the plow-thru-it tact today.

Those old Pharisees attempt to trap Jesus again at the beginning of the chapter, where they bring up the lawfulness of divorce. What Jesus says next is harsh. He basically says that nobody should tear apart a marriage. He admitted that Moses only granted that to the people because of the hardness of their hearts. In those days, I bet most the women were on the short end of the harsh treatment stick in that scenerio. In today's wrecked marriages, both sides of the gender aisle are getting attacked and emotionally trashed by the other party. Jesus said matter-of-factly that, when someone divorces and marries another commits adultery. This is a tough saying; and, with the percentages of marriages staying together these days being around the 50% mark, it addresses a lot of people.

Some folks will look at this and couple it with Paul's description of the "type of people" that don't inherit the kingdom of God (in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11), where Paul mentions adulterers on that list. Then he goes on to tell the believers in Corinth that, "such were some of you." Some might imply that to mean that adultery, like any other sin, can be forgiven by the blood of Jesus; but ongoing sin that is practiced on a regular basis (like a remarried man and woman acting like a married couple) would be a disqualifier for the kingdom of God. If this were so, it would be a huge new doctrine that would shake a lot of people up. If that were so, it would need to be supported in many other parts of Scripture. (It's dangerous, as you well know, to base a belief system on one or two verses.) God is really good about the whole counsel of His Word spelling out the major doctrines or belief systems that believers would hold dear. In the context of this letter to Corinth, which was filled with people that boasted about how grace covered them from all sin and how they were able to participate in all these freedoms. "In fact," they were recorded as bragging, "one fella sleeps with his step-mom ... and it's okay." Paul was probably making a couple points here. One was that a believer is a changed person and the fruit or result of their changed life is they no longer walk in (and practice deeds of) darkness, but in light. Two was that there were consequences of certain behaviors that lead to bondage. It would not be a good idea to get tangled up in that kind of mess.

I bet that half the times Paul looked at the possibility of getting married and fulfilling his sexual desires in that way, he might have been jealous and envious. The other half of the time he probably thanked God that he wasn't married and having to deal with the huge responsibility of making a committment (often) made during youth last throughout the years of your life. It's a big deal.

If adultery kept a believer out of heaven, though, it would have a hard time wrestling with the kingdom principles brought up in the parable Jesus told about the Prodigal Son. The point the father was making was that his love was unconditional. The older son seemed to think he was earning his father's love with all of his hard work; never knowing that he had it all this time and could have had kill-the-fatted-calf parties every weekend if he wanted. The love between a parent and a child is incredible and, though sin may bring heartache and even separation, the identity is rooted in their birth.

At this point I will reverse direction and say, "That's it! We'll pick up Mark.10 tomorrow (Lord willing)."

What's wrong with this picture?

Hey! There's a popular new social network that all the kids are getting on. Check it out! Oh! Did you see that ad? Do you see the pictures they're using for their avatars? Oh my! Let's start a Christian version of this, so kids won't have to be exposed to that stuff.

Hey! Have you played that new game? You know...it's called Guitar Hero. Wow, it sure is fun. Yeah, but I hate hearing those filthy lyrics. Have you heard "Tattooed Love Boys?" My, oh my. Why doesn't someone start a Christian version of this game, so we don't have to hear those lyrics and look at those evil images?

Why do we do stuff like that? Do Hindu's do stuff like that to proselytize? Do Muslims do that sort of thing to protect their youth from unwanted influence? Why is it that us Christians in the West resort to weird ideas like this? Isn't there something flawed in this line of reasoning?

It's one thing to speak a message and share it with the world in your speech, your art, your music, your craftwork. But it's another thing to try to create an entire subculture of safety and like-minded ideas.

This is one reason why I'm excited that many Christian artists have taken their art beyond the four "walls" of the Christian music industry (with its own stores, own radio stations). We've tried to encourage that growth in the pages of HM; and we've tried to get HM out on newsstands in mainstream stores. I hope that HM is able to help push, convict, inspire and encourage those artists and fans that enjoy the music made by fellow believers. While we exist partly inside the "bubble" known as the CMI (Christian Music Industry), we hope to be a growth agent somehow in that role.

What if Christians developed a well-rounded view of the world, took seriously their call to be "salt" in that environment, and then made sure they were out in it, making a difference? What if, instead of never being around "those" kids in the hallway (or interacting with on myspace), we were present, being who we are (without compromise, without apology, and without unnecessary going-out-of-your-way-to offense); instead of retreating into our own safe world?

I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!

This is what the father of a demon possessed boy said to Jesus. He had told Jesus, "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

Jesus replied with a question: "'If you can?'" It was like He was making fun of the man, like "You are questioning Me?" He wasn't being pompous, but He was pointing out that it's kind of a silly question to ask the Son of God.

Later the disciples asked why they couldn't successfully cast the demon out earlier. Jesus' reply informed them that "this kind can come out only by prayer." This kind of reinforces the idea I blogged about the other day -- that using God's power meant staying in tune with the Father; asking Him what to do and then doing it. Apparently, they were just using a formula that went something like this: "Cast it out in the Name of Jesus, and you're good!" This didn't leave any room for God to do something unique or even make sure it was His will to do such and such. I bet that's what Jesus was reinforcing with this lesson. Any sort of miracle work needs to be done in conference with the Lord. We don't just run around with supernatural powers to use at our whim.

Earlier in Mark chapter 9 we read about the "Transfiguration." This was an amazing moment, where the clothes Jesus was wearing became "bright white -- brighter than any bleach could make a garment." Wow. That's a good way to describe how bright they were. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus. I wonder what they told Him.

If Jews believed the accounts of the New Testament, surely this event would impact them. Two of their historical, prominent leaders were talking with Jesus, affirming Him in God's plan. I bet they were telling Him more about the suffering He would experience and the road to Golgotha. That's just my guess.

Afterward, Jesus told Peter, James and John not to talk about what they just saw ... "until the Son of Man had risen from the dead." They questioned each other about what Jesus must have meant when He said "risen from the dead."

After Jesus casts the deaf and mute demon out of that boy, He tells His disciples that "the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise." They didn't know what He meant, and were afraid to ask Him about it. Poor guys. Later Jesus asked them about something they were talking about on the road. They didn't tell Him, so the next thing that apparently happened was Jesus addressed their private discussion about "who was the greatest." He told them that "if anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

He also holds a little boy and tells His disciples: "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My Name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me but the One Who sent Me."

The disciples also ask him about another man driving out demons in the Name of Jesus, who wasn't a part of their group. Jesus told them to not stop the guy. "No one who does a miracle in My Name can in the next moment say anything bad about Me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in My Name because You belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."

Then He goes on to talk about the grave punishment someone will get if they make a little child stumble. He really stands out as a defender of the poor, weak, young, and underdog by saying this. It's tough love in action. This kinda proves that He wasn't just a peace-loving always-gentle kinda guy. When the situation called for it, He could be very firm and intimidating.

This chapter, like many in Mark, just covers a LOT of ground. The tail end of the chapter elaborates a little bit on hell. He urged them to take drastic action to avoid stumbling into sin and Hell, like plucking an eye out or removing a foot; "for it is better to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into Hell." He describes Hell as a place where, "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

It kinda says something when the leader of our movement says more about Hell than most anyone else in the while group.

"Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness,
how can you make it salty again?
Have salt in yourselves,
and be at peace with each other."

HM Magazine's Office Would Be Closed This Morning...

...if we were still located in our old location in Austin. Back then (between '94 and 2000) the HM Magazine office was inside our house. We had a large house in Northeast Austin that had a 250 square foot "sunroom" that was ideal for our work space. We had a shed in the back where we kept indie albums and back issues, as well as floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves in the garage that held other merchandise. We had five people working in that small room. If we were still there, I would have needed to call Brian, Chad, Mandy, Gordon, Wesley, Gwen, Leslie, Ben, Amanda, Cathy and/or others, to tell them: "Don't come to work today! It's dangerous to be in our neighborhood. I'll be working from inside the house, but not venturing out."

What happened in the wee hours of the morning (about 4 am) was a shooting in the area of our old neighborhood (possibly at the Randall's grocery store on Berkman. When police arrived, they came upon five suspects, who fled. One of them opened fire with an AK-47. That person was shot and killed. No officers were injured. One of the suspects was captured and arrested, and another was probably cornered. The Police Department was on the news this morning in a late-breaking story. They explained what had happened, and encouraged everyone in that area to stay inside. Several schools (most of which were really close to our old house) were closed for the day.

Wow. That's a scary event.

On the subject of the past, last night our family spent a couple hours watching old family home movies, watching our young daughters ham it up in front of the cameras. We watched a baby goat nibble on my daughter's shirt in a petting zoo, and we saw several funny old hairstyles. I was especially embarrassed over some of my former hair styles. When a balding spot started to appear on the back top of my head, it was determined that my almost waist-length hair should be cut shorter, so as not to pull on the roots and thus expose the bald spot even more. My shoulder-length compromise was quite poofy and fru-fru. I don't look back on those images with pride, I can tell you that!

In Mark chapter 8, we read several details about one of the most amazing miracles Jesus performed. It was so notorious that even Jesus seemed to sarcastically refer to it (when he later said, "Did you just come out here for food?"). The chapter starts off with a semi-quantitative introduction: "During those days another large crowd gathered." Apparently, this crowd had been with Jesus for three days and they had nothing to eat. Jesus informed His disciples that they should be fed, because just dismissing them to go home might spell their doom, as "home" might be too far to journey without nourishment. His disciples pointed out the practical facts: they didn't have a food supply, and it was a remote location, so none could be had too easily. Jesus replied, "How many loaves do you have?"

When He found out He had something to work with, He had all the people sit down and He gave thanks (to Whom? His Father, another detail pointing to the Trinity) and then handed the fish and bread to His disciples to serve the people. They were all satisfied, the text says. Afterwards, He sent them home and they got into a boat. It's interesting that, according to these details, Jesus didn't feed them and force them to listen to more teaching (which they wouldn't have objected to, as they were there to hear Him), nor did He have an "altar call" to get more followers to commit to Him. He just met their need, said goodbye and split up the meeting.

The Pharisees came to Him and asked for a sign from Heaven. It says, "He sighed deeply and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.'" It's kind of funny to see how annoying these religious people were to God in the flesh.

The disciples forgot to bring bread, save for one loaf, onto the boat, and Jesus took that time to warn them: "Be careful. Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." They talked about this and concluded, "It is because we have no bread." Jesus knew what they were discussing, so He hit into them:

"Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts burdened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? (12) And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? (7) Do you still not understand?"

I'll be honest, if I was one of those guys, I would have done some quick math and blurted out, "Uh, that next time we'll pick up 19 basketfuls?!" I can't really blame them for being idiots, because I can see how they might be confused and put too much analysis into some things and neglect other points.

In Bethsaida, a blind man was healed. This is a passage that the Vineyard uses to teach on healing (which I think is brilliant). The formula they've deduced goes something like this:
1. Interview the subject. Find out what's wrong.
2. Ask God the Father what to do.
3. Do it.
4. Interview the subject again. Ex: "Do you see anything?" The guy answered, "I see people, they look like trees walking around."
5. Repeat steps 1-4.
That is kinda what we see Jesus do here. This is something that we can do. I love this formula, because it is entirely based on something that is out of our control. We have to ask God what to do and then do it. This formula will work for anything else that needs God to show up -- like evangelism and deliverance (exorcism).

Jesus told this healed man not to go into the village. Do you think Jesus was using reverse psychology to get people to talk about Him more? Most biblical scholars think (I presume) the contrary; that Jesus was trying to prevent the crowds from being so large that his public ministry would be impossible. The massive amounts of people in crowds certainly dictate the logistics of public events. I can only imagine what it would be like now, with a much more populated planet all wanting to see and hear Him.

Jesus quizzed His disciples with the, "Who do people say I am?" question. Some of the answers were: "John the Baptist," "Elijah" and "one of the prophets." He turned the question towards His 12. "But what about you? Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." Jesus then warned them not to tell anyone about Him. Then He taught them that the "Son of Man" must suffer many things "and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law..." This must've sobered the disciples up and bummed them out. If this was truly a religious leader, they might have thought, shouldn't the Jewish leaders eventually accept Him and usher Him into some sort of top office?

He also told them that He must be killed, but after three days rise again. The text says He spoke very plainly about this. "Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him." That is both sad and funny. Peter was probably thinking something like what I just explained, but he was rebuking the Incarnate God! Jesus didn't take too kindly to the effort. He looked at His other disciples and rebuked Peter big-time: "Get behind Me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Wow. Those are harsh reality bytes for Peter.

Jesus called a crowd to Him and declared that anyone that wants to follow Him must deny themselves, "take up his cross and follow Me." I wonder how that went over at this point in time, before Jesus was hung on a cross. I bet this message later had more of an impact, when they had actually seen Him hang on a cross and die.

At the end of the passage, He references returning to Earth "in His Father's glory with the holy angels." Wow, that is intense. We have not seen that happen yet. That will be one beautiful and powerful event. The reference He made is a strong one about being loyal to God. He said, "If anyone is ashamed of Me and My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels."

Congrats to Barack Obama

We have a new President of the United States of America. I love this country and I am now choosing to support our new president. I will hope for the best -- both inside our country's borders and outside. There is a great opportunity now to address some issues with a spirit of optimism and hope. I decided a few months ago that, if Barack Obama wins the election, that I'm going to support him and hope for the future. What I'm not going to do, which is easier said than done, is to hate the guy and undermine him, disrespect him, spread rumors about him, distrust him, and resist him the way so many of us Christians did to Bill Clinton during his 8 years in the White House back in the 90s. I'm not going to hate Obama.

I saw the way a true leader in Uganda spoke of Obama. It wasn't an enthralled, romantic and glassy-eyed devotion. It was a very keen interest in the man's progress and what it might mean for Africa and the millions of people with dark skin. I see beyond the left vs. right rhetoric right now. I did not vote for Obama. I disagree with the approach that the liberal political spectrum takes on many issues. Nevertheless, we are one country made up of many different people. If we can cross our differences and work together, hopefully we can bring hope and change that will benefit us all.

I am so thrilled for my black brothers and sisters, who will now have someone in leadership, which is an inspiring example that this is a great land of opportunity and all things are possible. This means a lot to a people group that have suffered at the hands of other humans that enslaved and mistreated them for years and years. I have long wished that this pioneer would be Alan Keyes, but it is not.

God bless America, and God bless Barack Obama.

The Mission Hills Experience

WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG DEVOTIONAL SERIES ON THE BOOK OF MARK FOR THIS ELECTION DAY SPECIAL LOOK BACK AT MY EXPERIENCE AT MISSION HILLS CHURCH. Why the all-caps? What does this "Mission Hills Experience" have to do with the election? Why question myself? Who's writing this, anyway?

The year was 1986. It was February. A good friend of mine shared her exciting experience about this new church that was starting as an off-shoot of Austin's great Hope Chapel church. I visited with this friend and instantly liked it. It was a church plant and one of the former youth pastors at Hope Chapel was going to pastor it. Jayson Knox is a solid guy that takes people and prayer seriously. He launched the church with a series going through the book of Nehemiah. There was a talented musician leading worship, and the teaching, worship and fellowship at the church were very inspired and encouraging. It was called Heart Set Free. I had been attending Central Assembly of God church in Northeast Austin at the time, which was my home church for three years after coming back to the Lord as a 20-year-old college student at UT. I went to our charismatic and kind pastor, Tom Wilson, and told him I wanted to be a part of this new church plant and asked for his blessing to leave. He gave it to me with no hesitation.

I think he wanted me to leave. Ha! I'm just kidding. So, I started getting involved in Heart Set Free, attending every week. A year or so later the church stopped meeting at Hope Chapel at 3pm on Sundays, which was great for a late night owl like myself, who enjoyed going to rock shows on Saturday nights. The young church was pretty much made up entirely of young twenty-somethings -- college students and members of the work force. A few of them were married. I can't remember if any of them had kids yet. Possibly one or two couples were pregnant. This common demographic dynamic was an unusual and exciting part of the church. It was different for a church to pretty much all be the same age. What it meant was that we had no elders and no youth group. Heck, we didn't even have a nursery. It was kind of cool to see those demographics come on later. A lot of us got married and had kids together. It was neat to grow together with others in our community.

We later moved out of the Hope Chapel building and chose to use this move as an opportunity to change our church's name. "Heart Set Free" was indicative of what was happening in our midst, but it was so weird that it brought up questions from well-meaning parents. "Is this a cult? What kind of name is that?" The neighborhood that we moved to (the Riverside Drive area) had an old neighborhood name called "Mission Hills," so we changed to that much more respectable title.

The worship was awesome. We had a lot of creative people that wrote original worship songs. I miss them today, because they were really awesome. At one point we recorded a worship album, but a well-meaning idea of having the original songwriters sing on their songs kind of ruined an opportunity to record and release a killer worship album. The concept was a nice one, and cheery, but if we would have let the best musicians do it all... One small regret. No biggie.

The worship leader was a guy named Maury Millican. He was a good guitarist and singer that was in a band with his wife -- The Nation. I put one of their songs, "It Hurts To Be Broken," on a cassette compilation I released back then, called Cool Tunes. Maury excelled as a musician, a songwriter, but also as a true worship leader. Not a service would go by that he would not offer direction to us as a congregation that would instruct and allow us to "enter in" and participate in worshipping the King of kings. The worship experience was real and it was freeing. We didn't have people dancing in the aisles or swinging from chandeleirs, but if someone felt like dancing or bowing or lifting their hands, they did so without much notice or distraction. It was neat to have that freedom.

The church was governed by a "Servants Council" that helped balance Jayson out. He put a diverse group of people around him that felt called to serve our church. We grew from just a few to about 200, maybe 300. Our first move to the Riverside area was to a skating rink, which was part of a sports entertainment park. We had to set up and tear down chairs, sound system, etc each morning for our one service. Then we moved to a brick building in a strip mall not too far from The Back Room, which was Austin's premiere metal and rock club in the 80s and 90s. Lots and lots of rockers were part of our congregation. Pieces of bands like One Bad Pig, The Cry, The Paul Q-Pek Band, Sixpence None the Richer, Love Coma, The Nation, Lust Control, and many individual musicans and artists went there.

Maury Millican was our worship leader while he attended the Presbyterian Theological Seminary. When he graduated, he later came on staff as an Associate Pastor. He was a really good teacher, too. We had two guys delivering sermons and they both really did a good job. Jayson took his public speaking seriously, participating in Toast Masters, an organization that meets together once a week or so and helps improve public speaking skills. If he was not naturally gifted at speaking, you couldn't tell. He put so much effort into it that he made it look easy. I was given opportunity to speak often, which was a neat and rewarding experience.

As we grew and got older, more kids were present; one or two older couples joined up, so we eventually had that youth group and elders in our mix. This helped balance us out more. We moved from our building across the street into an old movie theater. I still remember the ceremony, where we marched across the street, worshipping and praying, carrying banners, etc. We took this church very seriously and we did our best to focus on others instead of just ourselves. We were pretty missions focused and we tried to reach out to our community, which used to be transient college students but was changing to many Hispanics that found the affordable apartment living attractive. A Spanish speaking church was started and began to share our building with us, where they met on Saturday or Sunday nights.

We kept on growing together, marrying, having kids, etc. I solidified in my convictions that church is not a consumer experience, but an organic community. One doesn't get bummed out and leave on a whim, but treats it like you would your own family. A son or daughter, brother or sister doesn't just not show up for dinner one night and the family "move on" without him or her. No, there's a connection there that doesn't allow for a loss without great pain and a serious effort to re-connect. To me, "church hopping" was like a sin.

After a major missions trip plan was changed and a reduction in giving, we had our Associate Pastor get laid off. Later on he took a position pastoring a Presbyterian church in town that had an opening. A few people connected to him via some of the thriving small groups we had going on during the week went with him there. A couple years later our head pastor had one of his annual prayer times right around New Year's Eve interrupted with a different answer from God. He used to always ask Him, "Is this where You want me?" And each year he heard a "Yes." This time, though, he heard a "No." After processing this privately for awhile, he announced it to the congregation later on that Spring. I joined a Pastoral Search Committee that spent the next nine months or so searching for a replacement. I believe Maury had already moved with his wife to North Dakota, so he wasn't a candidate. The servants council, which had a few opposited around the peacekeeper Jayson, no longer had his peacekeeping skills in the middle anymore, so there was some pulling and tugging in two distinct directions. One group wanted to see Mission Hills move further into the "prophetic worship" side of things; and another wanted to see us move further into the "Bible church" style of worship. Both were part of our personality, but now that a neutron wasn't in the middle of the cell anymore, the protons and electrons seemed to polarize a bit. This tension caused several core couples/families leave the church.

This was not good. I kind of told myself, 'If I'm going to err, I'm going to leave too late rather than too early.' The guy who helped start Hope Chapel, Dan Davis, was overseeing our church. He was on the board of directors or board of elders. I can't remember what that board was called. He was like our dad from the "mother church," though. He saw our struggle to find a new pastor. We had a couple candidates that the committee liked, but we couldn't agree on one. So, Dan recognized that another church in town -- New Covenant -- was having leadership issues, too. "Why don't you get together and explore the possibilities." We did and we ended up merging with that church.

The idea of a merge is kind of beautiful, in a way. This church was larger than ours; and ours was shrinking with dissatisfied people leaving. Our unique and young personality was kind of absorbed by the larger church. The older congregation liked our spunk, but that energy seemed to get squelched a little bit. I'm not sure why, but people leaving the mix probably had a lot to do with it. We changed our name (from Mission Hills and New Covenant) to South Shore Church. We then changed our service format, and pretty soon it looked and felt like a different church. My wife and I saw through some major changes and I prayed about it and felt like God was telling me, 'What you're loyal to doesn't exist anymore,' and I was 'free' to go.

This was a difficult thing to wrap my head around. I was Mr. Anti-Church-Hopper, so leaving almost wasn't an option. My loyalties were and are strong, but that word that I believe I received really liberated me. My wise wife decided that instead of just saying goodbye and then looking for a new home; we should spend every other weekend visiting a new church. That way, if our search took a real long time, we wouldn't be adrift out there without a church home. So, we did that. There are some really cool churches in Austin. Gateway was just starting at the time. They were kind of like a Willow Creek "seeker friendly" church, which we appreciated in spite of the popular criticism in some circles. What some see as "compromise" is a missionary's efforts to relate to a different culture in someone else's eyes. Our search soon came down to the obvious choice of Hope Chapel (our "mother church") and Calvary Chapel of Austin.

During one visit to Calvary Chapel, where my pregnant wife was at home with morning sickness, I felt like the Lord was telling me that this was the one He wanted me in. I had met the pastor, Allen Rigg, at a Guardian concert the previous New Year's Eve. It's funny how that event has come up twice in this story. Allen picked up the tab for my wife and I at Kerby Lane Cafe after-concert dinner with the band that Allen had played with back in Hollywood in the 80s. This was a musical interest commonality that opened up a friendship right away; plus he was good friends with Jayson Knox, my former pastor. When we joined Calvary Chapel (not formally, as they don't have a typical "joining" process), we talked about our experience of leaving one church and joining another.

A lot of pastors would prefer to grow out of conversion; rather than "stealing sheep" from another church, so to speak. Being a cool and trendy church, I'm sure Allen had seen plenty of people come by Calvary and say things like, "I'm so glad to be here. Our last church sucked!" As soon as he heard a statement like that, he knew this person was pretty much a grumbler and that, odds were, they'd be saying the same thing about him and Calvary later on. We weren't into bashing our old church, but were slightly sad at how things changed with it. Allen had been able to talk to Jayson about us.

He was probably able to ask him, "Is Doug really a jerk? Is he that stupid? Does he worship football or God? Is he involved with any terrorist cells?" Seriously, both Allen and Jayson participated in something really cool in Austin. A lot of the pastors in the city meet together on a regular basis and fellowship and pray with one another. I love this and am glad that it happens in a lot of cities in this country and around the world. The body of Christ is a universal entity that exists far outside the walls of a single church. Acknowledging that truth is a freeing thing that grants a healthy perspective to it all.

We joined Calvary Chapel in the year 1999 or 2000, I believe. It was a great move for us and I'm very excited to be a part of it. I trust our leaders and have some good friends. The Mission Hills experience was a big 13 years out of my life and the story I just shared was a big part of my life. The struggle to see the church change and then leave was just that -- a struggle. I'm not sure if what I've shared here is encouraging or helpful to anyone, but I just felt inspired to share it.

Did Jesus Say "Poop?"

In Mark 7 we see some great debate between Jesus and the Pharisees. These religious leaders had seen the disciples of Jesus eat food without washing their hands (thus eating "unclean"). The Lord let these guys have it, pointing out hypocrisy in their own practices.

They were trying to expose Jesus as a fraud, but Jesus showed that they were guilty of missing God.

"You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

He pointed out that these Pharisees would often break God's law to honor mother and father when they allow someone to give what they would normally give to their parents to the church. This was not only breaking a law with a religious excuse, but it was making others under their leadership make the same mistake. Jesus then went on to say that nothing coming into a man's mouth makes him unclean.

"For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body."

He probably didn't say "poop" here, but that's what He was referencing. He also gave a list of what was unclean: "evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly."

The next part of this chapter we see Jesus shifting gears a bit, when a Greek woman asks Him to drive a demon out of her daughter. He basically tells her, "I'm here to help the Jews, not you people." That's not a direct quote. What He said might have been worse:

"First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

This might have been sarcasm, but it was surely strong. The Greek apparently reads "little dogs," as in beloved house pets. Nevertheless, He was making a clear distinction between God's people and the gentiles. The woman was apparently not insulted, because she retorted, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." He told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." That's amazing.

Another funny story happens later in the chapter. A deaf and mute man was brought to him. He took him aside, away from the crowd (which, when you hear what He did, was probably a very good thing).

Jesus put His fingers into the man's ears. Then He spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, 'Ephphatha!" (which means, 'Be opened!') At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more He did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

What a great affirmation to the King of kings. It was an understatment, to be sure; but what did they know of His identity?

Compassion Bloggers

The cool and great folks at Compassion International have done it again -- they're taking a bunch of bloggers into the Third World to show them poverty up close and see what Compassion is effectively and successfully doing to release the people from it.


Here's a widget to follow along. Can you imagine what it would be like to be overseas during Election Week?